Georgia Leslie from Specialized is one of the most influential women in cycling, according to Cycling UK, and responsible for inspiring other women to get into mountain biking.

Every year, Cycling UK produces a list of its 100 most influential and exceptional women in cycling. The list covers women from all levels and disciplines of cycling who have been an inspiration to others.

Georgia Leslie in her happy place

This year Georgia is named alongside Katherine Goodey from RideHigh MTB and Shawnee Finlayson from the Unbound Collective. Starting in 2017, the Top 100 aims to bring more visibility to women in the industry and community who cycle and to help to address the gender imbalance which is still perceived within cycling.

There are still more men than women that ride bikes in the UK, but that figure is slowly changing, and every year the list of nominations Cycling UK receives for this list highlights the increasing number of women that are helping to transform cycling.

The Bike brands are doing their bit too, developing some of the best women’s mountain bikes we’ve ever seen, using data from both men and women to produce women’s specific bikes or unisex models.

There are four categories from which the Top 100 nominations are given: community champion, sporting hero, cycle influencer and industry mogul. This year, there are several nominees within the mountain biking sector, which we’ll highlight below.

Inspirational women in mountain biking

Naturally, not everyone who could be considered inspirational can be nominated every year, nor make the cut due to the sheer number of nominations. But, there were a few standout women in the mountain biking sphere that helped to encourage more women to ride, and/or spread the word about riding the trails.

Katherine Goodey runs RideHigh MTB and specialises in women’s coaching

Katherine Goodey

Goodey has been riding bikes since the 1990s, and runs her own MTB business called RideHigh MTB. She specialises in women’s coaching and leads women-specific ride weekends on Welsh trails. She’s also an advocate for trail access and contributes to Trail Collective North Wales which helps to sustainably manage mountain bike trails in the region.

Shawnee Finlayson

Shawnee Finlayson

Finlayson is the founder of Unbound Collective, which originally began as ‘Shred Like a Girl’. She’s created a kit brand as well as a community, holding women’s social rides and co-founded a women’s mountain biking festival called Unbound Fest.

Emily Greaves is a mountain bike trail therapy practitioner and coach

Emily Greaves

The first ever person to qualify as a mountain bike trail therapy practitioner, Greaves is well-regarded for her ability to create positive spaces for people to get into riding and learn new skills. She is also a member of Dirt Divas and works with other coaches across Scotland in an effort to make mountain biking and off-road riding more accessible to women.

“The benefits of riding a bike go beyond the sum of its parts, its power is something very special,” she said. “I love sharing this power with others.”

Georgia Leslie

Working as a PR specialist for Specialized, Georgia has been working with bikes since she was 14, and riding them since she could walk. She’s a pretty fast racer, but she’s also instrumental in influencing one of the biggest MTB brands on new products and helping to lead gender equality.

“I honestly don’t know where I would be without my bike right now, it feels like my safe space,” she sad. “Albeit my hospital history wouldn’t say the same!”

Sarah Mitchell, chief executive at Cycling UK, also commented on the list, “Each year I’m blown away by all the remarkable stories we receive of women making lasting, inspirational and transformative change through cycling. It’s a privilege to share these names and give real recognition to the women who have worked so hard to bring their love of cycling to others.

“This year’s nominees remind us of the power cycling holds to bring people together and empower individuals. Looking back, we’ve made great progress to make cycling more inclusive through campaigns for safer cycling infrastructure and initiatives that promote cycling for all ages and abilities. But our work is far from done. The road ahead is full of opportunity, and we’re eager to see more women and diverse communities take up cycling.”

You can see the full list of Cycling UK’s 100 women in cycling here.

cyclinguk.org